Preventing back pain from improper body mechanics and poor posture.
Some people
experience back pain due to habitually adopting poor spinal alignment
throughout their various postures and making use of improper body
mechanics while working. These can predispose the spine to injury and
pain. And yet these causes of back pain are easily preventable.
Here are some of the pointers I usually tell my patients and students
on how to maintain proper posture and protect the spine.
We have four natural curves of the spine:
| These are the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral curves.
| 
|
It is very
important that we try to maintain these curves during activity and
rest. We should particularly pay attention on how we carry things (e.g.
books, bags etc.) and how it affects the spinal curves, especially if
we carry everything over one shoulder. You or someone else might have
noticed that your shoulders are not on even levels when you stand up
erect. To prevent this, it is better to distribute the load over both
shoulders.
Many of us don't even know that prolonged sitting will eventually cause back pain.
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The following are techniques on proper posture and body mechanics.
STANDING POSTURE:
1. Do not wear high - heeled shoes for long periods of time.
2.
If your work involves standing most of the time (e.g. sales ladies,
cashiers), avoid standing in one position for prolonged time. Walk from
time to time or put one foot up on a low stool and alternately rest
each foot on it.
3. Do not lock your knees.
4. Do not stand bent forward at the waist or neck with your work in a low position.
5. Keep your abdominal muscles tight.
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SITTING POSTURE:
Sitting puts the most pressure on our back.
1. Do not slump while sitting.
2.
If possible, make use of a chair that swivels to avoid twisting at the
waist. Chairs with armrests are also preferred to support the weight of
your arms. Armrests allow the neck and shoulders to relax.
3.
Footrests can also help maintain a good posture. While sitting, the
knees should be level with or slightly higher than the hip.
4. Use a chair that supports your back in a slightly curved position.
5. A small pillow or rolled towel behind the lower back helps relieve pressure while sitting.
6. Avoid sitting for prolonged periods. Stand up and walk. Try to stretch your back muscles.
SLEEPING POSTURE:
1. Sleep on a firm mattress but not too hard.
2. Avoid sleeping in one position for prolonged periods, especially if you sleep for more than 7 hours.
3. When getting out of bed, roll to the side (sidelying position), and use your arms to sit up sideways.
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LIFTING TECHNIQUES:
Anyone who engages in heavy lifting should take precautions when lifting or bending.
1. Minimize bending and twisting.
Combined bending and twisting exposes the spine, especially the low back, to injury.
2. If an object is too heavy, get assistance.
One way to test the weight of the object is to try pushing the object
with your foot. However, large - sized objects, may best be handled
with help. Besides, you might have difficulty in seeing your path if
you try to carry a large object.
3. Spread your feet apart to give a wide base of support.
4. Stand as close as possible to the object.
5. Bend at the knees and hips (squat). Avoid bending at the waist.
6. Lift the object using the leg muscles, not the muscles of the back.
Most strains to the back are usually due to improper lifting
techniques. That is, making use of the back muscles rather than the leg
muscles.
Stand up without bending the trunk.
7. Hold the object close to the body to reduce muscle loading on the back.
8. Avoid twisting from the
waist while bending or lifting a heavy object. If you need to move an
object to one side, use your feet to pivot. Again, avoid twisting!
Final Words.
Incorporating good body mechanics and proper posture in your daily
activities would help prevent or minimize the occurrence of work
related back pain. There are actually hundreds more of other principles
of body mechanics of which you can incorporate in your daily
activities. Remember that your back is always your best guide. Your
spine specialist or your physical therapist would be very happy to
assist in finding out what's best for you, considering, your home and
working environment.
All About Back Pain l HomeTopic By: D. K. Mangusan Jr., PTRP
PUBLISHED September 29 2006 10:43:01 GMT+0800 (Phils.)
Updated: Sat Nov 11 2006 19:29:04 GMT+0800 (Phils.)
